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On this episode, we’re joined by Ian Tecklin, the Founder & CEO of Ripi, a recently launched, fast-growing upstart that’s redefining frozen pasta. Ian spent years in M&A and early-stage investing before partnering with Top Chef alum Joe Sasto to bring chef-level pasta to the masses through an accessible, freezer-friendly format.
With explosive early retail traction and a growing fan base, Ian shares an inside look at how Ripi developed its formulations, chose its first SKUs, and built a distinctive brand identity in a sleepy category.
We dive into R&D, how he selected and onboarded co-packers, and why launching with the right hero SKUs matters in frozen. Ian unpacks what most brands misunderstand about the frozen aisle, why packaging architecture matters more than founders think, and how Ripi thinks about shelf placement, facings, and competing behind a condensated glass door.
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Episode Highlights:
🍝 Building Ripi: a chef-led, premium frozen pasta brand
🧪 Formulating restaurant-level pasta that scales
🏭 How to choose and work with the right co-packer
📦 Why product set is critical in frozen
🎨 Packaging architecture that wins in the freezer aisle
🛒 Retail go-to-market & early traction
📊 Tactics for capturing more shelf space
❄️ What brands misunderstand about the frozen category
🧭 Advice for entrepreneurs entering frozen
🔭 Trends Ian is paying attention to
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Table of Contents:
00:00:00 - Ian Tecklin intro
00:41:08 - Ripi origin story
03:55:13 - Formulation and R&D
07:56:11 - Copackers
12:41:22 - Go-to-market SKU decisions
15:15:24 - Brand identity and packaging design
21:43:19 - Retail go-to-market
26:49:12 - Capturing more shelf space in a competitive category
30:17:19 - The frozen category
35:25:10 - If Ian could redesign the frozen section
37:33:02 - Recs for other frozen entrepreneurs
39:45:05 - Trends Ian is watching
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Links:
Ripi – https://ripifoods.com
Follow Ian on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-tecklin-44655698/
Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/
For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.
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